The Daily

Soulfly w/ Prong & Cattle Decapitation

October 21, 2009 at 4:00 AM

Courtesy

Critic's Pick
Release Date: 2009-10-21

They might come from San Diego, but Cattle Decapitation will always have a home in a city as devoted to killer metal — not to mention traditionally made barbacoa — as San Antonio. 2009 marks year 13 for PETA’s least favorite deathgrind outfit (if you’re not up on rock’s uber agro fringe genres, “deathgrind” probably means “what the hell is this unholy ear-torture”), and like any adolescent they’re only growing more pissed off and possessed as they enter their teen years. The Harvest Floor — CD’s sixth full-length, released in January — depicts faceless soldiers herding a throng of people into a slaughterhouse, and gets more vicious from there. “Gardeners of Eden” sounds evil enough to make a serpent squirm, and tracks like “Regret and the Grave,” “In Axestasy,” and personal favorite “We Are Horrible People” pretty much speak for themselves. Vocalist Travis Ryan has a voice like Beelzebub burping baby blood, and I’m pretty sure drummer Dave McGraw is actually playing a jackhammer. Also, incidentally, the entire foursome is not just noisy and scary sounding but also phenomenally talented, capable of pulling off some incredible shit you just aren’t going to see from a band that’s never released an album featuring a cow defecating human remains on its cover. Gives you a different perspective on barbacoa, doesn’t it? Maybe they can get PETA onboard after all. $20-$23, 8pm Sat, Oct 24, White Rabbit, 2410 N. St. Mary’s, sawhiterabbit.com — Jeremy Martin